Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possible antinociceptive effects of Salvia(S.) miltiorrhiza Bunge and its single components in monosodium urate(MSU)-induced pain model in mice and lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced inflammation model in RAW264.7 cells.METHODS: Pretreatment of S. miltiorrhiza Bunge extract(from 1 to 50 μg/m L) concentration-dependently attenuated LPS-induced nitric oxide(NO) release. The extract of S. miltiorrhiza Bunge(50 or 100 mg/kg) also caused reversals of decreased threshold for pain in the MSU-treated group as measured by Von-Frey test. Furthermore,we assessed the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties of the active single components from S. miltiorrhiza Bunge such as 15, 16-dihydrotanshinone Ⅰ, tanshinone Ⅰ, cryptotanshinone,miltirone, tanshinone Ⅱ A, and salvianolic acid B.Some of them showed an anti-inflammatory effect in LPS-induced NO release model and an antinociceptive effect in MSU-treated pain model.RESULTS: Our results suggest that S. miltiorrhiza Bunge extract may exert anti-inflammatory effect by reducing LPS-induced NO release and an antinociceptive property in MSU-treated pain model. Especially, tanshinone Ⅱ A, miltirone, cryptotanshinone, and 15,16-dihydrotanshinone ear to be responsible for LPS-induⅠ, not only appced NO release induced by S. miltiorrhiza Bunge, but also in the production of S. miltiorrhiza Bunge extract-induced antinociception in MSU-treated pain model.CONCLUSION: Therefore, the analgesic and anti-inflammatory property of S. miltiorrhiza Bunge indicate it as a therapeutic potential candidate for the treatment of pain and inflammation.

Key words: Salvia miltiorrhiza;;lipopolysaccharides;;nitric oxide;;inflammation;;analgesics